Finishing machine



Oct. 11, 1932. F. B. KEALL FINISHING MACHINE Filed Oct. 2, 1930 W I mum l l l I I T l I I l l I I I |l I l l F ll Patented et. 11, 1932 NETED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE FRANK BYCROFT KEALL, OF LEICESTER, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR 'IO UNITED SHOE MACIEZINERY CORPORATION, OF PATERSON', NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY FINISHING MACHINE Application filed October 2, 1930, Serial No. 486,000, and in Great Britain October 14, 1929.

This invention relates to finishing machines and is herein illustrated as embodied in an edge setting machine of the type disclosed in U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,078,684. Vlhile the machine disclosed in said patent is not limited in use to operating upon work of any particular kind it has special utility in operating on the edges of the soles of shoes.

In machines of the above type, for example, an edge treating tool is so mounted as to accommodate itself to changes in the inclination of the sole edge heightwise thereof in order that the work engaging face of the tool and the sole edge shall be'maintained in intimate contact heightwise of the sole edge. This will be referredto hereinafter as alinement of the tool with the sole edge, and is commonly effected by relative pressure between the tool and the work which causes a movement of the tool about an axis extending substantially in the direction of the sole edge at the point of contact of the tool therewith.

To allow the work engaging face of the tool to be recut a number of times in order to lengthen the life of the tool it follows that the axis above referred to on which the tool is mounted should be spaced from the work engaging face of the tool; and yet the greater the distance between the work engaging face of the tool and the axis about which the alining movement takes place the smaller isthe righting tendency of the tool, which effects the alinement of the tool with the work, caused by the pressure of the work held 7 thereagainst.

In view of the considerations set forth above it is an important object of the present invention to provide an improved tool mounting in the use of which a tool capable of being resurfaced a number of times may be employed without any accompanying loss in its self-righting tendency.

To this end, and in accordance with one feature of the invention, there is provided in a finishing machine,-wherein an edge finishing tool is arranged to rotate about an axis spaced from the work engaging face of the tool to accommodate itself to changes in the inclination of a sole edge as the point of operation of a tool on the work is transferred thereabout, means operated by the rotation of the tool for moving the tool simultaneously in another direction thereby to cause the tool to be rotated about a virtual axis in proximity to the work engaging face of the tool. The alinement of the tool with the work is thus facilitated in the machine illustrated herein by causing the tool to be moved heightwise of the plane of the tread of the sole by the movement of the tool about an axis extending in the direction of the sole edge at the point of operation of the tool on the work. In direction this heightwise movement of the illustrated tool is opposite to that of the rotation of the work engaging face of the tool.

In order further to facilitate the alinement of the tool wit-h the work and in accordance with another feature of the invention means is provided for suspending the tool and its support in stable equilibrium whereby a tendency of the tool to cause a heightwise movement thereof through the support is opposed by a minimum of resistance of the connections which produce this movement, and the tool always seeks a predetermined normal position. In accordance with another feature of the invention in this aspect, means is also provided for yieldingly resisting the movement of said tool and support from the normal position.

With the above and other objects and features in view the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing and will be pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a part of the machine in which the invention is illustrated as embodied; and

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view along the line IIII of Fi g. 1 with parts removed.

In the preferred form of mechanism which will for convenience be described as being applied to the machine disclosed in the U. S. Letters Patent above referred to, an iron is mounted on aknife edge 12 projecting from a tool support 14 so that it can tip upwardly or downwardly, the knife edge being maintained so as to extend in substantially the direction of the sole edge at the point of operto as 214in the prior patent) and V I and the weight of the tool and tool support are substantially balanced by ad ustable 1 through a recess in the enlarged lower end cesses 50' the curved lower. edge of the 34. 'By means'ofthe wing-nut 44 thespri more or less directly on the spring.

end of the sprin ation of the tool thereon by correcting d e-- vices as described in the specification of ti e above-mentioned V patent. the T-piec'e is (referred to as-210 in the abovementioned patent) in which the tool support 14 is mounted is allowed to slide vertically as well as rotate in a sleeve member mounted in an extension 22 of casing 24 refer d W we spring 26. The spring 26'is connected atone end to a pin 28 fixed in abridge-plaice '30 which. is iastenedto a collar 32 fastened to the upper-end of the shanli' 16. The other end of the spring 26 is connected to oreend of curved bar or lever 34 which at its 0 site endfhasa notch 36 engagingone ed; a square pin 38 fixed in a link 40 wh pivoted-on the a-in 28. :The bar 34 of a red 42 which isadjustable vertical meansoif. awingrnut 44, in a, member to the sleeve member 20."; The rod 74s has ' fixedinit a square pin l-Sone edge of which is engaged byone of a numberof curved re- 26 may be adjusted to balance the weightor the ironand tOOlSHPPOItElDdibY moving the bari34} to the right or left from its position in, Figure 1 its mechanical advantage "is changed. Hence the} adjective strength of thespring 26 -may be varied to vary the ease T with vwhich the tool and toolrsupport can move vertically. If the bar 34 is moved as far as possible'tothe r ghtin Flgure 1 so that the'upper end of he spring26 is close to; the rod 42 the toolsupp ort can be moved up or, down from its mid or balanced position comparatively GEESllY'SlIICB any rocking move- Vment imparted to the bar'34 by the link 40 or'spring 26 during such up and down movement only slightly affects the'position of the upper'end of; the spring 26. [The uppervend oi the spring 26, which in this case supports the greater part oft-he weight of thetool sup-' 3 port, is therefore substantially fixed a tool support carried by the. spring 26 and the ling-4O can be varied, with theresults above described. i If the tool is moved down the upper end of the spring 26 is moved up thus tending to raise the tool support and i retard ltsdownward movement; Ifthetool The shank 16 of support is raised the upper end of the spring 26 is lowered thus tending to lower the tool support and therefore retard its upward movement; The lower edge or the curved bar 34 is substantially concentric with the pin 28 when the tool support is in its mid and halanced po-s-itionsothat the bar 34 may be adj usted without c'listurbin this position of the tool support, V I V v Such control of the tipping of the iron, above described, as is afforded by adjustment of the bar 34 is useful if, for instance, a thin and somewhat soft sole is being operated upon and its edge has in places not been trimmed squarely with respect to the face of the sole. ln such a case the tipping of the iron issom'ewhat retarded by adjustment of the bar 34'so that the tool instead of tipping freely to suit the undesirable angle of the sole edge at such places moulds the edge at these places.properlyto make; it square to the sole face. if however the sole is thick and comparatively hard but its edge face is not cut squarely with respect to the sole face it will notmouldea'sily and the'iron must tip to suit the angle ofthe sole. In this case the bar 34 is adjusted so, that the iron; can tip easily.- 7 ,The sleeve member 20; at itsupper end has pivoted to it on pivot screws 51, 51 parallel-to the knife edges 12 a lever 52 which extends more or less over the tool and its support.

The lever '52 has pivotally mounted .on it a 'nected to it bya universal joint the upper end of arod 56.. This rod 56 at its lower end has fixed on it a slide 58 which has projecting from it towards the iron ,ajrounded-lug 60; The lug 60 enters a recess '62 in the iron 10 at the back thereof behind the knife edge. The lug 60zis held in the recess by a spring plunger 64 carried vin the tool support 14 so that if the slide 58 is pressedback away from the ironthe lug j60'is withdrawn from the recess 62andthe iron may be removedirom the support. The weight of the lever52 and rod 56'is balanced by a spring 66- attached at its ends to the lever 52 and toafore'said member-46projecting from thesleeve mem-' ber 20.- Thetool 10 and the tool support 14 are, therefore, suspended from the mem ber46 normally in stable equilibrium, and as a result the tool 10 always seeksa predetermined normal position; and the force tendingi'to returnthe tool to this position, after it has been displaced therefrom by the application of a sole edge to the tool, jmay be readily adjusted, as above-described, by altering the relative positionvofthe bar 34 and the rod 42.

assesses The universal. joint at the upper end of the rod 56 is constructed so as. to be as frictionless as possible. It comprises a block 68 fixed in. the lever 52 which is bored from opposite ends to receive two balls 70, 72. On the ball 70 rests: theflattened end of a substantially vertical stud 74 adjustably fixed in the upper end of a yoke 76. The yoke .76 straddles the block 68 and at its lower end has fixed in it the rod 56. The ball 72 is-engaged by the flat upper end of a dumb-bell 78 the flat lower end of which engages a ball 80 in a bore in thelower end of the yoke 76. The bores in the block 68 which receive the lower end of the stud 74 and the upper end of the dumb-bell 78 are of a size just to receive these ends and the ends so fit the bores as to allow the stud and dumbbell to rollagainst their respective balls, when the yoke 76 is rocked, without rubbing action between them and the balls and therefore practically without friction, the axes of the stud and dumb-bell tilting relatively during their rocking movement. The lower end of the dumb-bell 7 8 just enters the hole in the yoke 76 which receives the ball 80 and as the yoke? 6 is swung this ball 80 and the lower end of the dumb-bell 7 8 swings with it and in doing so the upper end of the dumb-bell rolls round the ball 74 and the lower end of the dumb-bell rolls round the lower ball 76 and it is thus that the dumb-bell and stud axes become relatively inclined. Thus it will be seen that all the parts in the connection between the rod 56 and lever 52 which point contacts referred to.

As the shoe sol-e and the iron 10 are relatively traversed past each other the iron as the aspect of the edge face of sole changes,

will be tipped upwardly or downwardly on the knife edges. As the iron tips it raises or lowers the rod 56 and thereby swings the lever 52 on its pivots 51. The lever 52 by its 1 connection thereto raises or lowers the T- piece 18 and therefore the tool support 14 and knife edges 12. The result therefore of the tipping of the iron in a counterclockwise d rection (Fig. 1) is to move the knife edges 12 heightwise as the iron tips and the result of the two movements occurring simultaneously is that the iron is tipped about a virtual axis in proximity to the work engaging face of the tool the exact position of which axis at any instant is determined by the relative speeds of these movements at that instant.

The knife edges 12 take the thrust of the work on the iron and allow the iron to tip with as little frictional resistance as possible and by reason of the iron tipping about a virtual axis as hereinbefore described the iron can very readily tip in either direction owing tothe thrust of the sole and the knife edges may be arranged at a distance away from the operative face of the iron which allows the operative face of the iron to be re-cut a number of times.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a finishing machine wherein an edge finishing tool is arranged to rotate about an axis spaced from the work engaging face of the tool to accommodate itself to changes in the inclination of a sole edge as the point of operation of the tool on the work is transferred thereabout, means operated by the rotation of the tool for moving the tool in another direction, thereby to cause the tool to be rotated about a virtual axis in proximity to the work engaging face of the tool.

2. In an edge finishing machine having a tool arranged to pivot about an axis extending in the direction of the sole edge at the point of operation of the tool whereby the tool is tipped into alinement with the edge of the sole by the pressure of the sole against the tool, means operated bysaid tool as it is tipped for moving the tool heightwise of the plane of the tread to facilitate the alinemerit of the tool with the work.

In an edge finishing machine wherein an edge finishing tool is caused to be tipped into alinement with the sole edge by pressure of a shoe held thereagainst, means operated by said tool as it is tipped, constructed and arranged to move said tool in a direction extending transversely across the work engaging face of the tool from its point of contact with the sole edge.

4. In a finishing machine having an edge setting tool pivoted on an axis extending in the direction of the sole edge at the point of operation of the tool and on which axis said tool is rotated by pressure of the work held thereagainst into a position of alinement with the work, means operated by the rotation of the tool for moving the tool heightwise of the said axis in a direction opposite to that of the rotation of the work engaging face of the tool.

5. In a finishing machine, a sole edge treatingtool, means for pivotally supporting the tool mounted for movement heightwise of the sole, connections between said tool and the support for causing the support to be moved as the tool is pivoted by pressure of the work held thereagainst, and means for suspending said tool and support in stable equilibrium.

6. In a finishing machine, a tool for setting sole edges means movable heightwise of the sole for pivota-lly supporting said tool whereby-it isrotated intoalinement with the sole edge by pressure of the work held thereagainsQQmeans for causing a pivotal'movement oft-he tool'to-impart a heightwisernovement to the i001 support, and means for yieldingly resisting the movement of said tool and support from a normal position.

' 7. In a soleedge finishing machine, an edge finishing tool, means for supporting said tool for rotativemovement about an axis spaced from the work engaging face of said tool and extending in the direction of the sole edge'at the point of operation of the tool, andmeans for supporting said tool and support in stable equlllbrium constructed and arranged t0 movethe support transversely of the axis of I support slidablymounted in said sleeve, an

edgesetting tool pivot-ally mounted on said support, and connections between said tool and said support for causing the support to shde'in said sleeve as the tool is rotated comprising a lever connected to the sleeve and said tool support and a link connecting said lever with said tool.

10. In a finishing machine, a tool support, means for slidably retaining said tool support, an edge finishing tool rotatably mounted on said support, and means connecting said tool and said support for causing a sliding movement of said support in said retaining means as said tool is rotated, said retaining means being arranged resiliently to support the tool in an adjustable predetermined position.

11. In a finishing machine, a tool support, means forcslidably retaining the tool support, an edge finishing tool pivotally mounted on said support,and connections between said tool and support whereby the rotation of the tool causes a translatory movement of said support, said support retaining means being arranged normally to suspend said tool and 7 support in stable equilibrium.

12. In a finishing machine, a tool support,

an edge finishing tool pivotally mounted on said support, connections between said tool and said support for causing. the support to be moved heightwise with respect to the shoe being operated on when the tool is pivoted on the support,-means for yieldingly supporting said connections whereby the tool is held in a normal position with respect to its support, and yielding means for holding said tool support in a normal position.

13. In a finishingm'achine, a: sole edge treatingtoohmeans for rotatably supporting said tool, said means being. mounted for 7 heightwise movement with respect to the sole, connections between said tool and said support forcausing said support to bemoved when the tool is 'rotated,'yielding means for supporting said connections, and meansfor suspending said tool support comprising a resilient and arigid member. constructed and arrangedto allow the apportionment of the weight of the tool support'carried by said resilient and rigid members to be varied. 14:. In a finishing machine, an edge, finishing tool, means for rotatably supporting said tool, said means being mounted for heightwise movement with respect to the sole of they "shoe being operated u on, connections betweensaid tool and-sai support for causing the support to befmovedwhen' the tool is rotated, means for suspending said tool support comprisin a resilient and rigid mem- "ber connected to said'support and a bar connecting said resilient and rigid members, and an abutment adapted for engagement with said bar at a plurality of points along it whereby the apportionment of the weight of the tool support carried by said resilient and rigid members can be varied.

In testimony whereof I have signedmy name to this specification.

FRANK nronorr .KEALL. 

